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Artist Spotlight focuses on interesting artists, upcoming exhibitions, and articles about art and those who love it or create it.

Discover new ways to stretch your imagination, be introduced to new artists, their exhibits, and books to read about them. Expect to excite your mind. Comments are very welcome! -- Rosemary Carstens

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Andrea Kemp—Rising Star in the Art World

Innocents

I recently spent a wonderful afternoon at Denver’s Saks Galleries LES FEMMES: Women Artists of Note exhibition and had one of those “oh YES” moments upon meeting Denver artist Andrea Kemp and viewing her work. A remarkably talented young artist, Kemp’s paintings are breathtaking.

Speaking about where her inspiration for new work comes from, Kemp related being influenced by something the great American poet Ruth Stone, now in her 90s, once said. Stone related that, when she was growing up in rural Virginia, she’d be out working in the fields and would feel and hear a poem coming at her like a thunderous train, barreling down on her, shaking the ground beneath her feet. The only thing she could do was run like hell to the house for a pencil and paper to get it down before it raced past her in search of another poet. What a vivid image! One that Kemp completely identifies with. An idea for a painting emerges, growing stronger and stronger, grabbing her by the neck—refusing to let go until she’s brushed on the last beautifully crafted brushstroke:

My journey as a painter takes me to new places . . . presenting unique ideas and challenges [often] paralleling other events in my life. Painting is a teacher [and] its possibilities are boundless. It’s a large part of who I am and its meaning is ever changing.

Luv Me Luv Me Not

Kemp grew up in Glenwood Springs, CO, and began painting seriously at the age of 15. The chance to study with nationally acclaimed painter Daniel Sprick, “provided a life-changing foundation for my painting and drawing. His disciplined approach set a great example,” Kemp says. After high school, Kemp studied at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Connecticut, and then completed her BA in Fine Arts at the University of Utah. In December, Kemp’s work will be exhibited in the 3rd Biennial American Art Invitational, December 3-31st at Saks Galleries, 3019 E. 2nd Ave., Denver, CO. She will also be having a one-woman show at the gallery in 2011.

Invitation to a FEAST!

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ARTIST ON THE EDGE: Annette Nancarrow

More information about the forthcoming biography of this unique American artist and fascinating woman who lived and worked in Mexico City for fifty years, a contemporary of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, will be posted here soon. Stay tuned!

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About Me

ABOUT THE EDITOR: Rosemary Carstens is a freelance writer, author, and publication consultant living in Longmont, Colorado. She is the author of DREAMRIDER: Roadmap to an Adventurous Life (Black Lightning Press 2003) and co-author of SUSTAINING THOUGHT: Thirty Years of Cookery at the School of American Research (2007). She is available for speaking engagements and workshops on the topics presented here and more. When not in the comma factory, she loves to ride the Rockies on her motorcycle, the Road Goddess. More information is available at
http://www.CarstensCommunications.com